12.12.2020
Moscow
Speech given by the general secretary of the Muslim International Forum, sheikh Ravil Gaynutdin, at the XVI Muslim International forum on “The culture of encounter: religious ethics in the age of the pandemic”.
Speech given by the general secretary of the Muslim International Forum, sheikh Ravil Gaynutdin, at the XVI Muslim International forum on “The culture of encounter: religious ethics in the age of the pandemic”.
الحمد الله رب العالمين
والصّلاةُ والسَّلامُ عَلَى رَسُولِهِ الْأَمِين
وعلى آله وصَحْبِهِ أجمعين، وَبَعْدُ:
Today, every one of us is confined to their home or office, and every one of us to one degree or another is worrying about questions to do with our health and the preservation of our life. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, people have turned back in on upon themselves, have turned back to their individual space and personal responsibility. During the reality of the pandemic, everyone has become equal to themselves and can no longer take refuge in social status, or the pomp and popularity of the external world. The crisis that the world health system and the governments of most countries are experiencing has shattered the illusion of wellbeing, control and functioning rules, and it seems as if man has been left alone with himself and his burden of fears and anxieties. The situation we find ourselves in, although it bears the hallmark of a common psychological hardship, brings us closer, as never before, to the moment of truth and urges us on to sincerity towards ourselves and those around us.
The pandemic has become a breeding ground for moods that are not conducive to harmonious existence and systematic development. This includes the rise in magical, superstitious thinking which is typified by a conviction in the unknowability of the world and the laws by which it functions. Fear and helplessness drive people into psychological bunkers which are fortified by all sorts of superstitions and prejudices, whether the denial of coronavirus or the belief in its manmade origin. Not many people are able to resist the temptation to avoid a deep understanding of the pandemic and the moral and religious questions that it poses to mankind, preferring instead to take refuge behind a screen of denial and cursing.
Like our ancient ancestors, many people today also prefer to declare anything unclear and fearful that we meet on life’s path to be an evil force, a demon, that needs to be bound and thrown into a dungeon without even trying to understand the meaning of this encounter. But, in fact, the inner meaning of any trial that befalls us is a meeting with the Creator, a chance to attain his wisdom and mercy.
Part of this superstition thinking is the logic that divides the world into “us” and “them”. However, let us ask the question: is it only the pandemic that has caused humanity to lurch towards superstition? I am inclined to think that the pandemic is a catalyst in this process, but not its primary cause. Alongside it and running parallel we have observed in 2020 the imposition of the “clash of civilizations” ideology. This asserts that it is fundamentally impossible for representatives of different religious traditions to exist at the same time among the most advanced civilizations and peoples. The logic whereby “we” cannot attain happiness and flourishing as long as “they” exist, i.e. those individuals and societies who are different in their worldview, is extremely dangerous. In this logic, the encounter with the unknown, the new, the as yet unexplained, is a matter for irreconcilable hostility, and not a test and an experience. This thirst for confrontation and rejection of coexistence also manifests itself insane and criminal acts of revenge allegedly for the honor of the Prophet (peace be upon him), and in the utterly irrational policy of vilification and defamation of Islam and forcing upon the Muslim community the status of an outcast in the so-called civilized world. We observed with bitterness the attempts to represent the recent military conflict in the South Caucasus as a war of religion, which is absolutely unacceptable and irresponsible. The overcoming of prejudices, the overcoming of confrontational and exclusivist thinking has been the subject of special attention at our annual meetings of the International Muslim Forum, which since the anniversary of the tenth Forum, have been carried out under the banner of the idea of Qur’anic humanism and the all-encompassing nature of the divine mercy.
Understanding the deepest meaning of Revelation, the great Muslim thinker al-Farabi, whose 1150th anniversary was celebrated by UNESCO this year, formulated the doctrine of the perfect city, where the greatest good and the highest perfection are attained. The great teacher emphasized that the success and happiness of people derive from genuine, comprehensive solidarity: “The city in which the union of people has as its goal mutual help in the affairs by which true happiness is attained, is the perfect city, and the community where people help each other in their goals of attaining happiness is the perfect community.”
The Holy Qur’an says:
وَتَعَاوَنُواْ عَلَى الْبرِّ وَالتَّقْوَى وَلاَ تَعَاوَنُواْ عَلَى الإِثْمِ وَالْعُدْوَانِ
“Help one another in righteousness and piety, but help ye not one another in sin and rancor.” (5:2).
Praise be to the Creator of the worlds, the meanings that were expressed in our discussions and meditations are receiving direct practical expression.
So, after more than a millennium of mutual distance and divisions, a fundamental rapprochement between the two major world religions, Christianity and Islam, is taking place. A qualitatively new stage of the process was marked by the momentous meeting between the head of the Roman Catholic church, Pope Francis, and the head imam of Al-Azhar university, Ahmed at-Tayyib, which took place in 2019. And in October this year this meeting received a logical extension in Pope Francis’ historic initiative, that is, in the encyclical called “Fratelli tutti”, “All brothers”.
From this it follows that the central ideas of the encyclical are in the highest degree consonant with the main values of Islam and its intellectual legacy. In a natural way the message of the encyclical accords with the positions formulated and defended at all our international discussion forums: in Moscow, London, Helsinki, Berlin, and Paris. We fully support and welcome the fraternal initiative of Pope Francis, and as a gesture of solidarity and agreement, the expression “A culture of encounter” was used in the title of XVI (sixteenth) Muslim International forum.
The Almighty Allah requires of us:
ادْخُلُوا فِي السِّلْمِ كَافَّةً
“Enter into peace wholeheartedly.” (2:208)
We have been witness to the deepening of the military conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh, where thousands of people have died and more than 70 mosques and churches have been desecrated. At the moment, due to the common efforts and direct participation of the Russian Federation and personal intervention by that country’s president, a peace agreement has been signed. However, the spiritual blow wrought by the war is irreversible. There have been deep wounds dealt by the war not just to bodies but souls, and the collective memory of people.
This is why, in the context of our Forum, special attention should be paid to understanding the central concepts of modernity: freedom of speech, freedom of conscience, respect for the feelings of believers, tolerance, and solidarity. The results and conclusions of our dialogue should be transformed into concrete social and humanitarian initiatives.
I would like to discuss separately the topic of the so-called “reform of Islam”, which is being called for today by certain well-known European officials and representatives of certain religious groups. The proposed “reform of Islam” is presented as a sort of new panacea that will allow the supposedly “backward” religion of Islam to fit into new realities, where the supremacy of rights and the freedoms of man rule. Meanwhile, the violence from which the Earth is today shuddering, can mask itself in all sorts of wonderful ideas, but in reality it doesn’t reflect a single one of them. We might recall the alarming situation of two other Muslim peoples, the Uighurs and the Rohinga. Pope Francis recently drew attention to this in his book “Let’s dream: the path to a better future.” From this it can be seen that conversations about “reforming Islam” that the representatives of the political establishment and certain representatives of other religions are engaging in, are completely pointless. The extreme phenomena of modernity have affected all the world religious traditions without exception. There can be no talk of a “good, progressive” team playing against a “bad, backwards” team. Any attempts to present the matter in a similar form is nothing other than meaningless demagoguery.
Positive reforms, which are carried out on the basis of mutual respect, dialogue, solidarity and humanism, are necessary for all religions. We have called for this tirelessly at all our events, and we call for it now – in these days of harsh testing, when the unity of humanity is more vital than ever.
We are happy that today the voices of solidarity are issuing from all our brothers – Christians, Jews, Buddhists, and all people of good will. We see this as a positive omen of the fact that the pandemic will be seen by humanity as a Divine sign, and that it will move people towards positive unity on the basis of shared values, towards the recognition of the sacredness of life and the triviality of existing disagreements, towards that momentous Meeting that will be a solid basis for world Culture!
May the Almighty preserve you!
الحمد الله رب العالمين
والصّلاةُ والسَّلامُ عَلَى رَسُولِهِ الْأَمِين
وعلى آله وصَحْبِهِ أجمعين، وَبَعْدُ:
Dear participants in the XVI Muslim International Forum!
On behalf of the Muslim International Forum, the Religious Board of Muslims of the Russian Federation, the Council of Muftis of Russia, and myself personally, I offer you a heartfelt welcome to the sixteenth annual meeting of our organization.Today, every one of us is confined to their home or office, and every one of us to one degree or another is worrying about questions to do with our health and the preservation of our life. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, people have turned back in on upon themselves, have turned back to their individual space and personal responsibility. During the reality of the pandemic, everyone has become equal to themselves and can no longer take refuge in social status, or the pomp and popularity of the external world. The crisis that the world health system and the governments of most countries are experiencing has shattered the illusion of wellbeing, control and functioning rules, and it seems as if man has been left alone with himself and his burden of fears and anxieties. The situation we find ourselves in, although it bears the hallmark of a common psychological hardship, brings us closer, as never before, to the moment of truth and urges us on to sincerity towards ourselves and those around us.
The pandemic has become a breeding ground for moods that are not conducive to harmonious existence and systematic development. This includes the rise in magical, superstitious thinking which is typified by a conviction in the unknowability of the world and the laws by which it functions. Fear and helplessness drive people into psychological bunkers which are fortified by all sorts of superstitions and prejudices, whether the denial of coronavirus or the belief in its manmade origin. Not many people are able to resist the temptation to avoid a deep understanding of the pandemic and the moral and religious questions that it poses to mankind, preferring instead to take refuge behind a screen of denial and cursing.
Like our ancient ancestors, many people today also prefer to declare anything unclear and fearful that we meet on life’s path to be an evil force, a demon, that needs to be bound and thrown into a dungeon without even trying to understand the meaning of this encounter. But, in fact, the inner meaning of any trial that befalls us is a meeting with the Creator, a chance to attain his wisdom and mercy.
Part of this superstition thinking is the logic that divides the world into “us” and “them”. However, let us ask the question: is it only the pandemic that has caused humanity to lurch towards superstition? I am inclined to think that the pandemic is a catalyst in this process, but not its primary cause. Alongside it and running parallel we have observed in 2020 the imposition of the “clash of civilizations” ideology. This asserts that it is fundamentally impossible for representatives of different religious traditions to exist at the same time among the most advanced civilizations and peoples. The logic whereby “we” cannot attain happiness and flourishing as long as “they” exist, i.e. those individuals and societies who are different in their worldview, is extremely dangerous. In this logic, the encounter with the unknown, the new, the as yet unexplained, is a matter for irreconcilable hostility, and not a test and an experience. This thirst for confrontation and rejection of coexistence also manifests itself insane and criminal acts of revenge allegedly for the honor of the Prophet (peace be upon him), and in the utterly irrational policy of vilification and defamation of Islam and forcing upon the Muslim community the status of an outcast in the so-called civilized world. We observed with bitterness the attempts to represent the recent military conflict in the South Caucasus as a war of religion, which is absolutely unacceptable and irresponsible. The overcoming of prejudices, the overcoming of confrontational and exclusivist thinking has been the subject of special attention at our annual meetings of the International Muslim Forum, which since the anniversary of the tenth Forum, have been carried out under the banner of the idea of Qur’anic humanism and the all-encompassing nature of the divine mercy.
Understanding the deepest meaning of Revelation, the great Muslim thinker al-Farabi, whose 1150th anniversary was celebrated by UNESCO this year, formulated the doctrine of the perfect city, where the greatest good and the highest perfection are attained. The great teacher emphasized that the success and happiness of people derive from genuine, comprehensive solidarity: “The city in which the union of people has as its goal mutual help in the affairs by which true happiness is attained, is the perfect city, and the community where people help each other in their goals of attaining happiness is the perfect community.”
The Holy Qur’an says:
وَتَعَاوَنُواْ عَلَى الْبرِّ وَالتَّقْوَى وَلاَ تَعَاوَنُواْ عَلَى الإِثْمِ وَالْعُدْوَانِ
“Help one another in righteousness and piety, but help ye not one another in sin and rancor.” (5:2).
Praise be to the Creator of the worlds, the meanings that were expressed in our discussions and meditations are receiving direct practical expression.
So, after more than a millennium of mutual distance and divisions, a fundamental rapprochement between the two major world religions, Christianity and Islam, is taking place. A qualitatively new stage of the process was marked by the momentous meeting between the head of the Roman Catholic church, Pope Francis, and the head imam of Al-Azhar university, Ahmed at-Tayyib, which took place in 2019. And in October this year this meeting received a logical extension in Pope Francis’ historic initiative, that is, in the encyclical called “Fratelli tutti”, “All brothers”.
From this it follows that the central ideas of the encyclical are in the highest degree consonant with the main values of Islam and its intellectual legacy. In a natural way the message of the encyclical accords with the positions formulated and defended at all our international discussion forums: in Moscow, London, Helsinki, Berlin, and Paris. We fully support and welcome the fraternal initiative of Pope Francis, and as a gesture of solidarity and agreement, the expression “A culture of encounter” was used in the title of XVI (sixteenth) Muslim International forum.
The Almighty Allah requires of us:
ادْخُلُوا فِي السِّلْمِ كَافَّةً
“Enter into peace wholeheartedly.” (2:208)
We have been witness to the deepening of the military conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh, where thousands of people have died and more than 70 mosques and churches have been desecrated. At the moment, due to the common efforts and direct participation of the Russian Federation and personal intervention by that country’s president, a peace agreement has been signed. However, the spiritual blow wrought by the war is irreversible. There have been deep wounds dealt by the war not just to bodies but souls, and the collective memory of people.
This is why, in the context of our Forum, special attention should be paid to understanding the central concepts of modernity: freedom of speech, freedom of conscience, respect for the feelings of believers, tolerance, and solidarity. The results and conclusions of our dialogue should be transformed into concrete social and humanitarian initiatives.
I would like to discuss separately the topic of the so-called “reform of Islam”, which is being called for today by certain well-known European officials and representatives of certain religious groups. The proposed “reform of Islam” is presented as a sort of new panacea that will allow the supposedly “backward” religion of Islam to fit into new realities, where the supremacy of rights and the freedoms of man rule. Meanwhile, the violence from which the Earth is today shuddering, can mask itself in all sorts of wonderful ideas, but in reality it doesn’t reflect a single one of them. We might recall the alarming situation of two other Muslim peoples, the Uighurs and the Rohinga. Pope Francis recently drew attention to this in his book “Let’s dream: the path to a better future.” From this it can be seen that conversations about “reforming Islam” that the representatives of the political establishment and certain representatives of other religions are engaging in, are completely pointless. The extreme phenomena of modernity have affected all the world religious traditions without exception. There can be no talk of a “good, progressive” team playing against a “bad, backwards” team. Any attempts to present the matter in a similar form is nothing other than meaningless demagoguery.
Positive reforms, which are carried out on the basis of mutual respect, dialogue, solidarity and humanism, are necessary for all religions. We have called for this tirelessly at all our events, and we call for it now – in these days of harsh testing, when the unity of humanity is more vital than ever.
We are happy that today the voices of solidarity are issuing from all our brothers – Christians, Jews, Buddhists, and all people of good will. We see this as a positive omen of the fact that the pandemic will be seen by humanity as a Divine sign, and that it will move people towards positive unity on the basis of shared values, towards the recognition of the sacredness of life and the triviality of existing disagreements, towards that momentous Meeting that will be a solid basis for world Culture!
May the Almighty preserve you!
General Secretary of the Muslim International Forum
The Chairman of the Religious Board of Muslims of the Russian Federation
Mufti Sheikh Ravil Gaynutdin